“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Ghandi
Weekly Focus: Seva (service)
Seva is the practice of selfless service. In seva, we offer our service to others without the expectation of reward or return.
To be radiant (our monthly theme for August) is to send out your light, and to act in service for others is to send out your light to the world, hence seva as our final focus this month. Yoga is a self-focused practice that ultimately helps us to become a more self-aware individual and to see our union with all things. In this recognition, we can see that by offering ourself in service to others, we receive even when we don’t expect to.
Yoga gives us the tools to know ourselves better, to know what our passions and desires are, to know our skills and assets. What good is it to become passionate for ourself if we don’t share that abundance with those around us? This week we challenge ourselves to take our yoga practice into the world and to share our inner abundance with our community. As much as we give, we receive. We may not need or expect it, but there is a fullness that comes with the service we offer to others. Service can be large or small gestures, it all counts. In what ways do you give of yourself to others, without expectation of return?
Here are a few ways to practice seva:
- Caring for natural spaces — the next time you take a walk, bring a pair of disposable gloves, a trash bag, and your keen eyes. Pick up any litter you find on your walk. This small contribution helps care ofr shared spaces to keep it cleaner and more beautiful for all to enjoy.
- Feed a loved one — know someone going through a challening time? Prepare a meal or simply buy a gift card for meal delivery. When life is hard, taking care of ourselves doesn’t come naturally. Stepping in to care for another when they are struggling can be very meaningful.
- Spontaneous acts of kindness — try offering a secret and surprising act of kindness to a co-worker or neighbor. Perhaps you shovel the neighbor’s sidewalk of snow. You might bring a coffee for your coworker or pick up an extra task for them if they have a busy week. Looking for ways to show up when it’s not expected of you.
Passive Pose of the Week: Marichyasana C (Sage Twist C)
This posture, named after the Sage Marichi, is most fitting as the name translates to “ray of light.” This twisted pose allows us to look around to see where we can look outside of ourself.
- Begin sitting on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you.
- Slide the right foot in towards the body with the knee pointing up to the sky.
- Hug the right knee towards you with the left arm. Inhale and reach up through the crown of the head, lenghtening to spine.
- As you exhale, twist and turn to your right. Place the right hand behind the hip.
- Press into the right hand to help you sit up tall.
- Take 3 – 5 breaths before unwinding on an exhale and switching to your second side.
Using your breath to help guide you into this twist can be powerful tool. With every inhale, imagine yourself reaching a little taller through the crown of the head, and with each exhale, let the ribs rotate. To add more complexity to this breath, you can try alternating your breath between the lungs. This practice is just as much a mental connection as it is physical. When twisting to the right, imagine breathing into your right lunge, and exhaling into your left, letting the breath move you through the twist. Remember, this is just as much about visualizing the action as it is about feeling it in the body. To practice, you can start facing center and place a hand on each rib, trying to inhale into one lung, and exhale into the other. Try it on both sides, reversing the inhales and exhales for the left side, and notice what you feel in the pose.
Active Pose of the Week: Camatkarasana (miracle / surprise pose / wild thing)
Camatkarasana boldly opens the heart and reaches a hand in extension of offering. This pose also encourages us to look outside of ourself as we lift the gaze to the ceiling.
- Begin sitting on the floor with your feet straight out in front of you.
- Slide you right foot closer to the body with the knee pointing to the sky. Then move the foot further to the right. Your foot will be in line with the left knee, but outside the line of your right hip. As you do this, allow the left leg to slide out to a slight diagonal.
- Plant your left hand behind you with your fingers turned away from your body.
- Push into your right foot, and left hand while bridging up through the hips. As you lift up, the toes of the left foot will naturally press down to the floor.
- Sweep your right arm up and alongside the ear.
- Hold here for 3 – 5 breaths before lowering down with control and switching sides.
There are a few ways to enter camatkarasana but we find the above variation to be the most accessible. In reality, camatkarasana is just another variation on our side plank pose, where most of our weight is being held on one arm and leg. It is the push down into the floor that helps us rise up in the hips. To access this feeling in an even simpler pose, you can take the same action from a janusirsana. Start with your legs in a checkmark shape (right leg long, left foot in towards the right thigh like a half butterfly). You will still press down through the left hand, but as you rise up through the hips, roll onto the left shin and let the right foot press down. This is a great pose practice the lift of the floor before jumping into camatkarasana.
Join us in class this week to practice your self-reflection and acknowledgment of the Kleshas. See the full schedule HERE.
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